Zcash becomes the next crypto to have a "friendly" fork

The privacy-focused Zcash has become the next digital currency to have a "Friendly" network split, with Bitcoin Gold being the first.

Zcash, the privacy-focused cryptocurrency that started as a fork of the Bitcoin blockchain in 2016, has made history by becoming the first cryptocurrency to have a "Friendly" network split.

According to a tweet posted by the Ycash Foundation, the official fork took place on July 19, when the first Ycash block was mined.

The Ycash Foundation, which was established earlier this year, is tasked with ensuring that the Ycash blockchain remains separate from Zcash and the Zcash Foundation.

The fork will "Restore a goal" of mining on commodity hardware, the Foundation said.

Apart from the mining issue, the fork will also fix another contended issue within Zcash - the network's developer funding system called the "Founder's Reward."

The first "Friendly" fork in crypto history.

While blockchain forks aren't anything new in the crypto industry, the fact that Zcash and Ycash managed to split without starting an outright war between their respective community members is nothing short of miraculous.

Few could forget the bloody "Hash war" that was led for months between proponents of Bitcoin Cash's two most recent forks-Bitcoin ABC and Bitcoin SV. But, thanks to its relatively low profile and a tight-knit community that keeps the blockchain's interests sacred, Zcash managed to avoid all of that drama and fork peacefully.

Howard Loo, who many believe was the one who initiated the split, even said that he will continue to hold Zcash.